Melantho: Daughter of Skeletor
by Stephy2
Summary: How does one girl change the story? Will her loyalty always be to her father, or can her heart be changed by good? And, what if the side of good was not so honest with its past?
1. S1E1: The Naming of the Child

**Okay, I know a lot of you have been waiting for Episode 8, but I've had some major problems. Between three computers, two notebooks and several heartbreaks, I've had the stupid idea of rewriting this whole adventure. Which is partly what I've been doing on haitus. I don't want to start a whole new story section, not when I have so many notices that people are looking here for a story. So, hopefully, it will let everyone know when something has been edited and you can see the newly rewritten version of this story.**

Melantho: Daughter of Skeletor

Season 1, Episode 1: The Naming of the Child

She was dieing. He knew it for some time. He had known it ever since he returned home to find his people slaughtered, his son murdered and his wife weeping on the floor. He knew she was dieing ever since she laid eyes on the monster he become, his face stripped away to reveal nothing but a grinning skull. He knew she was dieing when he selfishly dragged her into hiding with him in this hellish Dark Hemisphere so pregnant that she was about to burst with the bastard spawn of some "noble" and "good" murderer.

He had known it all along, but it still hurt. He swore on their wedding night to always protect her, and he failed. Trapped in the Dark Hemisphere without the help of real healers, she was fading more and more every day. He held on to her for five years, watching as the life bled out of her. It was only a matter of time.

"Kelantho, is there anything I can get you?" He gave her hand a squeeze to let her know he was there, forever by her side. "Some water, perhaps? We got the purifier to work properly. Sweetest water you'll ever taste."

She moaned low. He bent closer to hear her, catching only a few breathy words.

"I didn't get that, my love. What did you say?"

This time, he heard her. "Protect the child."

His blood boiled. The child was the damned offspring of the murderer who raped his wife. Against his wishes, she kept the baby, desperate to replace the son she lost. That baby was all that kept her alive these five years. All he saw in it was another sign of his failure.

"Kelantho, it would be best if that brat -" He started, but she interrupted him. He strained to hear his beloved wife's last words.

"Give the child a name. Raise her as you would any child of mine. Please, Keldor, protect the child."

He could refuse her nothing. No matter how much he loathed the child, he could not refuse her last wish. He loved her too much. Placing his lipless lips to her ear, he whispered, "I promise."

Kelantho managed a weak smile. "I love you," she breathed. If he could cry, he would have as he watched his beautiful wife fade before his eyes. Her chest rose and fell less and less until she stopped breathing all together. He continued to hold her hand long after she had died, not wanting to let her go.

When he left the room, he ceased to be Lord Keldor, captain of the once-great Achitan army. He was no longer Keldor, devoted husband to the beautiful and kind Lady Kelantho. He was no longer Keldor, enemy of the scourge known as Randor and rightful heir to Eternia's might. The moment he stepped out of the room, he became Skeletor, Overlord of Evil, once more.

He moved quickly through the dark stone halls of Snake Mountain. The promise rang in his mind, and the last dieing vestige of goodness in him demanded that he honor his word. He would do as she asked and name the brat, and might even raise it, but he would never love it. Birthing the brat had stolen the last of Kelantho's strength and he had allowed it to live for five years while she lay fading in the bed. Five years was long enough. If it died under his care, so be it.

Skeletor found the two minions he placed in charge of Brat patrol staring at a hole in one of the walls. Clawful and Whiplash hunkered down and tried to reach in the hole, making little whistling noises as they did so. Skeletor watched them, knowing immediately that the brat had crawled in there. Well, if it wasn't going to come out, then he was free from his bargain. It wasn't his fault the stupid child died.

"Exactly what are you two doing," Skeletor demanded.

"Um, she went in the hole," Clawful said. "We were playing and she hid in the hole."

"We can't get her out," Whiplash added.

Skeletor had figured as much. He turned to leave and noticed a little shadow by the entrance. "And what were you playing," he asked, watching the shadow. Clawful and Whiplash were too busy staring at the hole to notice anything.

"I was pretending to be Captain Randor," Clawful said. "We were chasing her around. We didn't know she'd even fit in the hole."

"Well, just stay there until the brat shows up," Skeletor said. As he left, he grabbed the small shadow and pulled it along with him. As he suspected, it was the brat. Small for five years and dirty, she closely resembled her mother with the same pale blue skin and black hair. However, some strange fluke of genetics had given her watery blue eyes instead of Kelantho's lovely dark ones. In a way, that was a blessing. If she looked too much like Kelantho, Skeletor might actually come to care for her.

Skeletor didn't say a word as he dragged her down to the laboratory. What could he say? He never spoke to the brat, and now his dead wife expected him to raise it. He had more than enough minions for that task. The first one he thought of, who would do a decent job, was Evil-Lyn. As a woman, shouldn't she have some kind of motherly instincts?

Evil-Lyn spent much of her time lately in Tri-Klops' lab. Skeletor told himself he didn't care, that Evil-Lyn was nothing more than a diversion for him when he was away from Kelantho. However, seeing her so close to Tri-Klops, his most loyal servant, grated on his last nerve.

"Lord Skeletor!" Tri-Klops moved quickly away from Evil-Lyn, guilt etched on his face. "I was planning on finding you. I've finished the first prototype of what I call a Doomseeker. It will be able to go further into the Dark Hemisphere to look for anything that will aid us."

"Yes, I'm sure that was really on your mind," Skeletor sneered. "Evil-Lyn, I have a job for you." He shoved the dirty creature at the witch's feet. "Bathe that thing, dress it, and then bring it down to the tombs. Tri-Klops, come with me. I will need some assistance moving Kelantho's body."

A somber Tri-Klops followed Skeletor, leaving Evil-Lyn with the child. With a sigh of disgust, she nudged it with her boot. "Well, don't just sit there! Follow me."

Over an hour later, Evil-Lyn presented the newly scrubbed and clothed child to Skeletor in the tombs. Tri-Klops was placing the last touches on Kelantho's crystalline casket when she arrived. Where Evil-Lyn found a man's shirt for the child was anyone's guess.

"So, this is Kelantho's bane," Skeletor said, walking around the child. "I would tell you that your mother is dead, but I doubt you even understand what that means. I would tell you that this is the new start on your life, but you're too dumb to even know what I'm saying. Aren't you?"

The child watched him, not speaking. Skeletor wondered if it could actually talk. He never bothered to teach it and it spent most of its time under the care of Clawful and Whiplash. Kelantho was always too sick to properly care for the child. Someone would have to teach it to talk.

"You need a name. Personally, you can just go by Brat for all I care. However, it was Kelantho's last wish that you receive a proper name." He nudged the child with his boot as he thought of a good name for it. "In all my life, I've only met two strong, special women. One was my mother, Melo. The other..." He noticed Evil-Lyn preen a bit out of the corner of his vision, "...was Kelantho. You, Brat, are not even worthy to lick their shoes clean. But you want to be, right?"

The child either understood him, or instinctively knew what he wanted. It nodded and gave him the most sincere look of gratitude he had ever seen. Maybe there was some hope for the awful little creature after all.

"From this day on, you will be known as Melantho." He paused and then added, "As my daughter, you will expected to learn and master many skills. My loyal warriors will teach you." What possessed him to declare her as his daughter was beyond him. In that moment, it felt right. The child was watching him with the same hero worship his son used to.

Skeletor looked at the two minions in the tomb. "I suppose she can learn magic from you, Evil-Lyn. Tri-Klops, can teach her how to use a sword. Neither of you are to hold back. This...thing...won't be of any value if you baby it."

"Of course, Lord Skeletor," Tri-Klops said. His voice betrayed his bewilderment over the sudden 'adoption'. He had expected the child to die when Kelantho did.

The Dreaded Lord of Snake Mountain pulled the child up by the arm and shoved her against Evil-Lyn. "Congratulations," he said. "You're a mother." With that, he walked out. Evil-Lyn looked at the girl, who gazed up at her with hopeful blue eyes. Disgusted, she left the room. The child then turned to Tri-Klops. The swordsman and inventor scratched his head as he wondered what he was supposed to do with a child.


	2. S1E2: For Freedom

Season One, Episode Two: For Freedom 1

_A merely fallen enemy may rise again…But the reconciled one is truly vanquished_

_Friederich Schiller_

Deep in the heart of the Dark Hemisphere of Eternia lurked the ominous Snake Mountain. A hulking fortress that once housed the greatest evil of Eternia's past, now housed the greatest villains of its present. The people of Eternia felt safe as the Dark Hemisphere was cut off from their glittering world by a wall of power, known as the Mystic Wall. It had kept them safe for nearly fifteen years.

In the hallowed halls of Snake Mountain, Evil-Lynn angrily stalked. She had received a summons from the master of Snake Mountain, a man she now hated with a passion. Her boots clicked sharply against the stone floors as she moved from one hall to the next. Her black skirt, tattered from years of wear, fluttered around her shapely legs. All that was left of her old uniform was her breastplate and helmet.

Stopping in the anti-chamber before the throne room, she gathered her wits before entering. As she stood there, a musky smell assaulted her nostrils. Turning she saw a hulking hairy figure enter the anti-chamber. His fur was a tangled mess of red and he reeked from not washing for months. A two-headed slimy creature clung to his neck.

"Must you bring vermin in here," Evil-Lynn scoffed.

"It's not vermin," Beastman defended, "it's an electro-eel."

"I was talking to the electro-eel."

Before Beastman could snap back, a metallic whirring sound distracted them. They turned to see Trapjaw entering the anti-chamber. Trapjaw was the least trusted of all the henchmen. Having once tried to revolt against their master, he was closely watched for any more signs of treachery. Their Lord Skeletor had been merciful and had his face reconstructed, earning him his new name.

"Well, we're almost all here," Evil-Lynn said. As she spoke, a small metal machine zoomed into the room. Quickly followed by a muscular man holding a petite teenage girl. Tri-Klops kept one hand on Melantho's waist as they entered the room. Evil-Lynn frowned as she saw how close Tri-Klops was to the girl. That could explain his sudden disinterest in her.

For many years, Evil-Lynn had been the reigning queen of Snake Mountain. The only female among a group of men, she had enjoyed the attentions showered on her. As Melantho matured over the years, she noticed a few of her admirers ignoring her. Though the girl was just fifteen and her father would kill any henchman who dared to woo her, that didn't stop some of the males from thinking of the newer model and leaving the older witch alone.

Tri-Klops was the only human male of the group. Still young and virile, his body bulged with muscles from his almost compulsive exercises with the sword. His eyes were hidden by a visor that wrapped around his head with three lenses he could view the world through. It was Skeletor that created the visor, saving Tri-Klops' life along time ago. He owed his master everything and was the most loyal of all the minions.

Melantho had grown into a rather lovely lady. No where near the beauty that Evil-Lynn had once possessed, she was not without her own charm. It grated on the older witch's last nerve when she saw the girl. Melantho's black hair was always pulled back in a ponytail, showing off the delicate facial features that she inherited from her long dead mother. Her blue skin was several shades lighter then Skeletor's, a result of never seeing the sun. She should have looked like a street urchin in her patchworked clothes and ratted down furs, but she carried herself with too much confidence. Evil-Lynn itched to take that brat down a peg and reclaim her rightful place as the only woman in Snake Mountain.

"What does he want this time," Tri-Klops asked, his deep voice rumbling off the walls.

"I heard he came up with some new way to break the Mystic Wall," Trapjaw said.

Beastman huffed. "Like I haven't heard that one before," he muttered as he walked into the throne room. Everyone jumped when a bolt of power shot Beastman against the wall. Melantho snickered as she stepped over the hairy henchman.

"What was that, Beastman," came Skeletor's voice from atop his throne.

"N-nothing," Beastman stammered.

Melantho patted Tri-Klops' arm as she walked forward and climbed the stairs to the throne. For several years now, she became the only one allowed to approach Skeletor, let alone sit next to him. She knelt by the throne on the right side, Skeletor's large pet cat, Panthor, curled up on the left.

She watched as Whiplash and Clawfull dragged a strange stand to the middle of the room. She liked the two inhuman henchmen. Between the two of them, their IQ still stayed in the single digits. However, growing up, they always came up with the best games.

"Behold, my newest invention. This will help us finally break free from that accursed Mystic Wall," said Skeletor.

Impressed, Tri-Klops knelt by the machine. Being an inventor as well, he was greatly interested in any invention that Skeletor came up with. He lovingly ran his hands over the surface of the machine.

"How does it work," Tri-Klops asked.

Skeletor blasted him away. "Don't touch! It's only missing the final ingredient, the Corodite Crystal from the Sea of Rakash. Six years to find it, and now victory will be mine!"

His attention was diverted as a near-by pool of mud bubbled. Merman, the only one of the henchmen that could travel under the Mystic Wall, came up from the pool. In his webbed hands he held a large red crystal covered in septic mud.

"Six years to find the thing," Evil-Lynn sneered. "The least you could do was take five minutes to clean it."

Melantho silently agreed as Merman walked up to present the crystal to her father. Skeletor tapped Melantho's shoulder. When she looked up at him, he motioned for her to get the Crystal and bring it to him. Delighted, she stood and met Merman halfway down the stairs.

She took one look at the dripping Crystal and frowned. Merman tried to shove it into her arms, but she shook her head.

"Take it," Merman commanded.

"I will not present anything that filthy to my father. Clean it, Merman. Or else."

"Pushy little brat," Merman muttered as he walked back down. He gave the Crystal a quick cleaning on Beastman's fur before walking back up to Melantho. "Better, your Majesty?"

Melantho smiled as she took the Crystal. "Much better." She brought the Crystal to her father and knelt at his feet as she presented it to him.

"Thank you, Daughter," Skeletor said as he took the Crystal. He swept by her and walked to the machine. Without a word, he put the Crystal in the machine and watched as it hummed to life.

Skeletor signaled Whiplash and Clawfull to take the machine. He led the group out to the Mystic Wall, gleefully ready to assert his freedom.

Clawfull and Whiplash set the machine up under the watchful gazes of Melantho and Tri-Klops. At a safer distance behind them, the rest of the group watched. Melantho had to remind them several times to be careful.

"Hey, it's not working," Clawfull complained.

Tri-Klops sighed. "Try pushing the button."

Melantho giggled as the two dense henchmen found the on-and-off button. The machine buzzed to life and started to vibrate.

Whiplash said, "Uh, maybe we shouldn't stand here." They had no other warning before a strong ray shot from the machine. The sonic backlash sent the four of them high into the air. Tri-Klops managed to grab Melantho and cushion her fall.

"Are you all right," Tri-Klops asked, looking at Melantho as she lay on top of him.

"I think so," she answered, slowly getting up.

"If you two are done flirting," Evil-Lynn sneered, "we have more pressing matters to attend."

Tri-Klops frowned as he helped Melantho up. He sent one of his little Doomseekers to search the Wall for any signs of stress or success. All it found was a small crack.

"That is where we will concentrate our attack," Skeletor informed them. Immediately, Tri-Klops, Clawfull, Whiplash and Trapjaw attacked the Wall. Melantho dusted herself off as she stood by her father's side and watched. She frowned when it was evident that they had not made so much as a scratch. Not even Beastman's beast could widen the crack.

"Stand aside boys," Evil-Lynn commanded. She raised her magical staff and said, "A change is at hand. Destruction is an absolute must, change this wall into dust!" She unleashed a powerful wave of magic, but it was no use. The crack wouldn't widen.

"Allow me," Melantho said. She did not need any magical paraphernalia to channel her powers. Like her father and her mother, she had power that flowed through her very veins. With a little concentration, she sent wave after wave of power at the crack.

"Oh, yes, that seemed to work well," Evil-Lynn scoffed as the dust cleared. Just as the others, Melantho did not succeed.

"It worked well enough," said Skeletor. He raised his Havoc head staff to the wall and blasted it into pieces. He laughed as the large debris fell from the sky, raining down on him and his henchmen. The very thing that had held them captive buried them.

After they dug their way out, the group of villains stood there and stared at the world beyond the wall. Green grass and luscious flowers, the sweet scent of fresh nature and sparkling water wafted in the air. Birds sang, a foreign sound to Melantho. She gazed at the green world that lay beyond the wall, and desired to be in it.

"Now, let's go conquer the world," Skeletor proclaimed.

Melantho smiled. "Are we finally going to revenge ourselves on the Council and that insect, Randor?"

Skeletor turned to his daughter. "We? We are not going to do anything. _I_ am going to avenge myself against the Council of Elders and Randor. _You_ will stay here."

"But, Father -" Melantho started, but was cut off as her father's hand shot out and struck her across the face. The force of it spun her body around before she crumpled on the hard ground. She looked up at her father, one hand over her stinging cheek and sore jaw. Tears filled her blue eyes, but never fell. She knew better then to cry in her father's presence.

"Never talk back to me, Melantho," Skeletor sneered. "Never!"

"Yes, Father," said Melantho. "I'm sorry, Father. Please, forgive me."

Skeletor turned his back on her. "I'll think about it. Now, get back to Snake Mountain and wait for us to return."

"Yes, Father."

Evil-Lynn laughed. "Yes, run back home Brat. This is no place for children."

Melantho hurried back to her home. Evil-Lynn's taunts had hurt her more then her father's blow. She knew her father loved her. He only hit her when she stepped out of line, and she knew it. But, Evil-Lynn didn't care about her. Not since Skeletor had officially named her his daughter. Any warmth that Evil-Lynn might have felt for the girl had died that day.

XXXXXX

A few hours later, Skeletor felt as if his temper had reached its boiling point. His well-laid plans had fallen a part. He had planned on defeating the Council of Elders first and taking their power for himself. However, the grand Hall that had once housed the greatest power of all of Eternia was no longer there. Instead, the area had been turned into a market!

Growling, he grabbed the nearest merchant and hulled the man off the ground. "Where is the Hall of Elders?"

"The Hall of Elders," the merchant stammered. "It's gone!"

"Gone?"

"Yes, gone. It's been gone for about fifteen years now. I thought everyone knew that."

Skeletor dropped the man. "And what of Captain Randor?"

The man looked shocked. "He's the king. Been king for nearly fifteen years, ever since the Mystical Wall went up."

Snarling, Skeletor motioned for his henchmen to follow him. "Well, if that's the case," he said, "let's go pay a visit to our dear friend, King Randor."

They traveled even farther into the Light Hemisphere. There they found the large, white stone palace. It was too big for just the royal family. It looked like its own city.

"Looks like he had a wonderful life," Evil-Lynn said.

"Yes," hissed Skeletor. "Too nice. I'm sure he'll be surprised to see me again." He pulled his hood even lower on his head, hiding the skull from view. No reason to spoil the surprise now.

It wasn't very hard to get into the palace. The guards were not alert and there seemed to be a party going on. Everyone was in a festive mood and no one expected the attack.

XXXXXX

King Randor stood, his glass held high as he addressed his loyal subjects. "Everyone, I'd like to propose a toast on this, my son's sixteenth birthday." Looking around, he realized that his son, Adam, had left his own party.

"Never mind," Randor huffed, sitting back down.

"Now, dear, I'm sure Adam has a good reason for disappearing," Marlena said. She reached over and patted her husband's hand. "I noticed Duncan isn't around either."

"It doesn't matter, Marlena. How can our son be so irresponsible!"

Marlena tried to smile. "He's young. You were young once."

"No I wasn't. My father trained to be a fighter when I was young and I learned responsibility. Adam has it so easy, he has no enemies to fight, no wars to win." Randor rested his head in his hands. "Maybe that's what's wrong, this peace."

"Now, dear, you don't mean that."

"Maybe I do," Randor snapped. "Maybe I wish this peace would come to an end so Adam would grow up!"

Marlena merely shrugged. She did not know Duncan as well as Randor did, but she counted the man as one of her best friends. She was not from Eternia, but from a planet very far away called Earth. An astronaut, her mission had been to survey the possibility of colonizing the moon. However, a mysterious electrical storm happened in space, a phenomenon that should have been impossible. Her spacecraft was hurtled through a tunnel in the fabric of space until it landed on Eternia.

Randor, a captain of the great Defenders and already a hero, had saved her from the burning spacecraft. She fell instantly in love and they married not too long afterward. Her life could not have been happier, and her son was her pride and joy. She knew that Randor wanted Adam to be a great warrior like he, but she only wanted Adam to be happy.

At that moment, the doors burst open and seven figures walked in. Randor gasped as he recognized them, had thought them gone forever. The hulking figures of Beastman, Whiplash and Clawful surrounded Evil-Lyn, Tri-Klops and a man with a metal jaw. In the center was Randor's worst enemy, someone he had wished dead on many occasions. Wrapped in a flowing cloak and hidden by a hood was the unmistakable figure of -

"Keldor!"

"Hello Randor, miss me?"

"How did you get out!"

Keldor laughed. "That is my secret, Randor. Maybe I'll tell you before you die!"

As the knowledge of who was now standing in the palace dawned on the brightly dressed courtiers. They panicked and ran as the palace guards and the remaining Defenders moved to defend their king and queen. The villains eagerly attacked, years of aggression and a desire for vengeance boiling over.

Marlena moved behind her throne to stay out of the way of the whirling blades and bolts of magic. She knew the battlefield was not her ideal place. She was a scientist, not a warrior.

She yelped when Keldor landed by her throne. He was as she remembered him; tall and strong and foreboding. The cloak hid his facial features, but she just knew that he had that same cruel smile on his thin lips. She had crossed paths with him in the past, before he was banished to the Dark Hemisphere. He always scared her with his maniacal hatred of her husband.

"Well, well," Keldor purred. "Look at what we have here. The Lady from the stars, the treasure of Eternia."

"Go away, Keldor," Marlena said, her voice wavering slightly.

She couldn't see his face, but she knew that he was smiling. "Oh, no Star-Lady. I'm not leaving. You have something I want."

Marlena shrank back. Her husband was currently busy with Beastman and Evil-Lynn. All the Defenders were busy, and no one had noticed yet that Keldor had her cornered.

"What do you want," she asked. She prayed that he didn't answer with her life.

Keldor's eyes traveled down Marlena's body, stopping on an amulet that she wore. Randor had given it to her when he proposed. He said it had belonged to his father. The amulet was beautiful, gold inlaid with blood-red gems. When she first saw it, Marlena had thought that it was supposed to swing open like a locket, but Randor told her that it didn't.

She put her hand over the amulet, but he would have none of that. He grabbed her hand and twisted it away from her body. Before she could protest, he snatched the amulet off her neck.

"Have a lovely day, your Majesty," said Keldor with a mock salute. He turned and rejoined the battle, pocketing the amulet.

Marlena watched in horror as Keldor led her husband and friends away from the palace. The battle took to the skies and they were all soon out of sight. Marlena's heart dropped and she prayed that her husband returned to her in one piece. He was once the hero of Eternia, but nearly fifteen years of peace had softened him. He might not be the match for Keldor that he once was.

As Marlena helped care for the wounded, her son returned. She was relieved to see that he was all right. Behind him was Duncan, the Captain of the Royal Army, friend of the king and queen. She had no idea where they had gone, but she was glad that Adam had escaped the attack.

"Mom, what happened," Adam asked, running up to her. He looked so much like his father, with his blond hair that was already starting to darken to the same shade of brown as Randor. Blue eyes that betrayed his every emotion and a skinny body that still held the promise of being a warrior's.

"It was Keldor," Marlena stated. "He found a way out of the Mystical Wall. Your father and the other Defenders left to fight him."

Adam looked around the destruction that had once been his birthday party. He was now a man according to his people, and this was supposed to be a glorious day. Marlena could see the war going on in her son's mind. Should he stay and help restore his people, or should he follow his father and face uncertain doom?

"Adam!" Marlena called out as her son ran out of the palace. She looked over at Duncan and nodded, giving her friend permission to follow him.

"Please, keep him safe," she whispered as her only hope left the room. Should Keldor return, they were dead. And if he returned, she knew that it would because her husband and friends had perished.


	3. S1E3: For Freedom 2

Melantho, Daughter of Skeletor

Melantho, Daughter of Skeletor

Season One, Episode Three: For Freedom 2

_No tears are shed when an enemy dies._

_Pubilius Syrus_

The village of Achita had once been a bustling center for magic and swords. The best came there to study and learn among the temples and grand courtyards. That was before the first Great Unrest. Before the House of Atwood started coming into power, before Captain Miro, father of Randor, became a hero. It seemed, after Captain Miro succored his place among the heroes, a dark cloud drifted over Achita and it fell into ruin.

The temples became empty as the blue-skinned natives traveled away to find their fortune elsewhere. Among the ones that stayed was a woman by the name of Mela and her son, Keldor.

Now, there was nothing left of Achita but rubble and a few stone heads from the temples. Miro's son, Randor, had destroyed it all. The people of Achita were nothing more then a memory, barely worthy of notice when one spoke of the greatness of Randor. The genocide was not remembered; not when one talked of the acts of the saintly Randor.

All this suited Skeletor just fine. This dead area was the perfect place to exact his revenge on Randor. Everything bad that had happened in his life was because of the blood in this man's veins. Everything! The ruination of his people, the destruction of his home, his mother's disgraceful death, his son's death and the suffering of Kelantho - it was that man's entire fault!

It had not taken Skeletor much to lure Randor away from the other Defenders. Randor had been eager to fight him, eager to settle the score. He was cocky, still flushed from his victory all those years ago. However, where Randor had settled down and lived the good life, Skeletor had not. He kept fighting and was not the washed up has-been that his foe turned out to be.

A moan at his feet alerted him to the fact that Randor had woken up. It was now time for Skeletor's revenge.

"Ah, good to have you awake, Randor old pal," Skeletor said. "I was starting to think that I had killed you too soon. I am most pleased to see that you are still among the living."

Randor coughed and struggled to get up. "I don't know what you hope to gain from this, Keldor. You can't possibly win."

Skeletor laughed as he pulled back his hood. "The name is Skeletor now. And what I hope to gain is the sweet revenge that I've wanted all my life."

Randor gasped when he saw the fleshless face, the leering skull and empty eyesockets. He remembered the acid hitting Keldor in the face, his enemy screaming in pain as he ran away. He remembered that Keldor had sought refuge in the Dark Hemisphere and the Defenders forced Keldor's minions to retreat there before the Mystic Wall went up.

"Oh, my God," Randor swore.

"Oh, yes," hissed Skeletor. "Look at what you did to me. Look at me! This is the fruit of your labor!"

"I did nothing to you," Randor said. "You did it to yourself."

Skeletor kicked his fallen foe. "You did this to me! You robbed me of everything! My home, my people, my family - you took it all! You and that father of yours destroyed my life!"

Randor shot up from the ground and tackled Skeletor, sending them both tumbling. He straddled the dark lord, punching the grinning skull.

"Never talk about my father! I will not have you spread your lies again!" Randor punctuated his words with his fists.

Skeletor shoved Randor off and drew his sword. Randor rolled out of the way and unsheathed his own sword. The two warriors faced each other, years of anger building up inside of them.

Skeletor attacked first, his rage evident in each blow. Randor fought back, but he was quickly losing ground. It was clear that Skeletor was the master this time.

"This was all your own doing, Skeletor," Randor huffed, blocking his opponent's attack. "You only have yourself to blame."

"Oh, really? I suppose my people deserved to be wiped out by your forces? I suppose my son - my one year old son - was to blame for your soldiers cutting him half!" Skeletor pressed his attack, his words fueling his anger and strength. "I guess my mother deserved to be abandoned by my cheating father and ridiculed until the day she took her own life! Was all that my doing as well!"

"You attacked us first," Randor sneered. "You never had to start the war! You never had to be so greedy in your search for power. And you killed my daughter!"

"Let's not be bitter, Randor. The past has no meaning now. All that matters is the future," said Skeletor. "And how much I'm going to enjoy your death!"

Randor blocked the attack, but his foot slipped on some gravel. He fell hard and hit his head on a rock. Knocked out, Skeletor tied Randor up. He had his fun, now he wanted his revenge. He dragged Randor over to what used to be the Red Cliffs. His wife used to love staring out over the cliffs. She had a garden of hanging plants before the village's destruction.

He brought Randor right to where his house used to stand, to where Kelantho's garden had once been. It was also the spot where he had buried his son. This was the perfect place for Randor to die.

Looking down at his prisoner, he waited until Randor started to wake up. If he had lips, he would have smiled.

"This is a glorious day, Randor," Skeletor said. "Just think, today my mother, my wife and my son will be avenged. All of your sins, and the sins of your father, will be reconciled. A glorious day indeed."

Slowly, Randor woke up. He shook his head to clear his mind. As soon as he was awake, he saw the danger he was in.

"Oh, Randor, do be a dear and scream on the way down," purred Skeletor. "I always wondered how far of a drop it is."

"All you're going to do is let him go!"

Skeletor turned to see who had dared to interrupt his revenge. Standing behind him was a tall, muscular blond man. He wore little armor and looked like a barbarian. By his side was a rare breed of green tiger, just as large as his owner and far more armored.

"Do you know to whom you are speaking," Skeletor sneered. "I am Skeletor, the Overlord of Evil!"

The man smiled. "And I am He-Man, the Defender of Eternia!"

Snarling, Skeletor attacked. How dare this person try to stop his revenge! They crossed swords and the battle began. Skeletor would not be defeated! He had waited his whole life for this moment. All he had ever dreamed of was destroying Captain Miro for the humiliation that he had caused his family. When Miro vanished, Randor became the object of his hate.

Skeletor only wanted the life he deserved. His mother had tried to provide that life, but his own people had turned their backs on a woman who did not have a husband. She tried her best, had gotten Keldor taken in by the current lord of the land. While Keldor was grudgingly accepted, his mother was not. He watched every day as people threw trash at her, spit on her and called her names. All because his father would not do his duty and stay with them.

If he could not have his revenge on Randor, then this blond imbecile would do! He pressed his attack, pushing this He-Man back. He let his anger show as he forced He-Man into the defensive.

He-Man, however, was physically stronger then Skeletor. He managed to throw Skeletor's swords away, disarming the Overlord of Evil. Skeletor realized he had been beaten.

"Surrender," stated He-Man, his sword at Skeletor's throat.

Kneeling and looking contrite, Skeletor said, "Surrender? Yes, I do."

He-Man looked pleased, and a little confused. It was as if he had no idea what to do after he won. Skeletor, however, knew. The blond hero had no idea the extent of Skeletor's power and was surprised when Skeletor called his swords to him.

"I had my fingers crossed," Skeletor informed him and pressed the attack. He now had the upper hand his victory was assured.

XXXXXX

Back at Snake Mountain, Melantho sank to the floor. She had just finished cleaning the whole throne room. The mud that Merman had tracked in and the slime left behind from Beastman's electro-eels had to be cleaned before Father returned. The very stones in Snake Mountain gleamed.

She crawled up to the throne and laid her head on the seat. She would never dare to sit in her father's throne, but she knew he wouldn't be angry if she laid her head there. Snake Mountain was too quiet, and it unnerved her. She could hear thing moving in the halls, the scraping of bodies against the floor. There had been times when she saw something scurrying into the shadows.

Listening to the sounds of Snake Mountain, she closed her eyes and prayed that her father came home soon.

XXXXXX

Skeletor held the ruined remains of his sword. He had pushed He-Man to the edge of a lava pool with the intent of drowning the hero in the hot magma. He-Man looked too happy over ruining the sword. This only served to anger Skeletor even more.

"Surrender now," said He-Man, "and we will show you mercy."

"Mercy? I know all about your mercy," sneered Skeletor. He spat on the ground, glaring at the blond man.

"A lifetime behind bars is mercy for your crimes," He-Man said.

"And what of the king's crimes? Where is the justice for the people he slaughtered!"

He-Man looked taken back before his surprise turned to anger. "King Randor is a great man. He has never slaughtered anyone! Only evil does those things. Evil, like you."

"Oh, we shall see about justice, He-Man. I know things about Randor and his family that would turn your hair white." The Overlord of Evil held out his hand and summoned his staff. Once he got it, he blasted He-Man.

Dusting himself off, He-Man faced Skeletor again. "You know your Havoc staff can't hurt me," he boasted.

"True," said Skeletor as he lowered the staff to Randor. "But I'm sure the good king isn't as immune as you."

He-Man took a step back. The panic was clear in his blue eyes. Skeletor relished the feeling of power he now held. He knew this man's weakness.

"You see, He-Man, I'm willing to bet that you value the king's life more then you want to bring me to justice. In fact, I bet that if it means the king's life, you'll let me leave."

"Don't listen to him, He-Man," Randor yelled. "Skeletor is a liar! Always has been, always will be."

Skeletor had to stop himself from hitting Randor, but he knew that if he attacked the king now then He-Man would be on him. If he was to pull off the plan in his head, he had to keep his temper.

"Your life is important, Your Majesty," He-Man said. His voice echoed his defeat. "All right, Skeletor, you may go. The king's life for yours."

Skeletor raised his staff and summoned a griffin. They were pets of Beastman and served as their transportation outside of the Dark Hemisphere. Laughing, he mounted the griffin.

"Oh, He-Man," Skeletor said. "I lied." He lowered his staff and shot the king off the cliff. Laughing, he flew away, not caring if He-Man saved Randor or not. All he cared about was that he was free to plot for the next time.

He met up with his henchmen and left for home. As he saw the Dark Hemisphere, his euphoria over his minor victory faded into anger. He had been bested! His men had been bested! And all by one muscled wanna-be hero! It was unacceptable.

Storming back into his throne room, he woke his daughter up. She smiled and came down the stairs to greet him.

"Welcome back, Father! How did it go?"

Skeletor shoved her away. "Not good. Some imbecile called He-Man decided to play hero."

Melantho scrunched up her nose. "He-Man? What kind of name is that?"

"A bad one, my dear," said Skeletor.

"Did you get the power of the Elders?"

"No. They vanished years ago. No one, not even that fool Randor, knows where they went."

Melantho looked disappointed. She had been secretly hoping that with victory she could live in that sparkling green world. As long as this He-Man was there and Randor was still alive, she was stuck in the hot, hellish Dark Hemisphere.

"Oh, Melantho, we did bring you back a little something," Skeletor said. He motioned for Tri-Klops and Beastman to bring a large trunk in the room. "This is the first part of your gift."

Melantho opened the trunk and gasped. Inside was a mountain of new clothes. Clothes fit for a princess and a few jewels to match. She lifted the rich fabrics and held them against her cheek, lost in the sensation of silk and soft cotton.

Skeletor stood behind his daughter and took out the amulet. He reached down and hooked it on her neck. "This was once my mother's. She foolishly gave it to my father, and he lost the right to own it. I was rather pleased to find it again. It's now yours."

Melantho stood up, one hand on her new amulet. "Thank you, Father," she whispered and hugged him. "I'll treasure it always."


	4. S1E4: Cupid's Arrows

Season one, Episode Four: Cupid's Arrow

_Some cupids kill with arrows, some with traps._

_Much Ado about Nothing Act 3, scene 1_

"Are you sure this looks right? I feel kind of exposed."

Melantho twisted and turned to study her new look in the polished obsidian mirror. Her new dress fluttered around her legs and hugged her curves. The neckline made a daring plunge to nearly her navel and the only covering for her arms were shear strips that connected to her shoulders.

Tri-Klops glanced in the mirror as he pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "I guess the merchant we took the trunk from wasn't heading for the royal court like he wanted us to believe."

He bound her thick black hair and then wrapped a glittering strand of garnets around her ponytail so that the gems looked almost like a crown. It was the least he could do for her, no one else in Snake Mountain would help her look nice. Ever since she had been a child, Melantho went to Tri-Klops whenever she wanted to try a different look and he was too weak to tell her no.

"That should do," Tri-Klops said. "Come one, we have to go. Your father is summoning us."

"Do you think he'll like this?"

Tri-Klops glanced at the girl. He could still remember her as a child, holding on to him and saying, "Ti-Kops is most beautiful." Suddenly, she was a young lady. He could see the woman she would become very soon. When had Melantho turned into such a lovely lady?

"I'm sure he'll like it," he managed to say.

Together, they walked to the throne room. Melantho was surprised to see that everyone was waiting for them.

"What is going on," Melantho asked.

"We were talking about what happened to the power of the Elders," Skeletor informed her. He motioned for her to sit next to him. Once Melantho was seated at his feet, he continued, "I found it odd that the Elders vanish and He-Man appears."

From one corner, Evil-Lynn sneered, "Skeletor, in his ultimate wisdom, has determined that He-Man must have the power of the Elders."

Melantho growled, staring down at the old witch. She knew that Evil-Lynn had grown comfortable in her role as the leading lady of Snake Mountain. Her father still indulged her and allowed her more freedoms then he did for his minions. However, Melantho also knew that Skeletor would not hesitate to kill the witch if she ever stepped out of line.

"What do you plan on doing," asked Trapjaw.

"We just need to find He-Man and take that power!"

"Find him? But, you couldn't even beat -" Tri-Klops started but quickly corrected himself. "Uh, I mean, how?"

"By scent. He-Man's scent," exclaimed Skeletor. "We'll hunt him down and take his power! Beastman! Send out your hounds!"

Melantho smiled, curling up by her father's feet and resting her head on his knee. She gazed up at him with her watery blue eyes. "Brilliant plan, Father," she said. "Soon, all of Eternia will be yours."

"That is the idea," Skeletor said, running one hand over her head. "Now, why don't you run along until we're ready. Take Panthor for a walk."

Tri-Klops watched as Melantho and the large cat left the throne room. He quickly turned and left, heading back to his lab. He needed the solitude of his work space to think on matters. He felt dirty for thinking that the daughter of his lord was beautiful and desirable.

"Going somewhere, Tri-Klops?" Evil-Lynn pushed herself in front of him, forcing him to stop.

"Out of my way, Evil-Lynn. I've got work to do."

Evil-Lynn smirked. "The brat looked very lovely today. You're becoming quite the ladies' maid. Tell me, do you still bathe her as well?"

Turning red, he tried to move past Evil-Lynn. The sorceress, however, noted his reaction and grinned.

"Oh, I know what is bothering you. Little Melantho has no sense of dignity. Here you are, lusting over that young body, and she just flaunts it in your face without knowing your feelings," Evil-Lynn purred. "You must be so frustrated."

"Enough of this," growled Tri-Klops. "She is the daughter of Skeletor. She is just a child. I am not lusting after her. I'm old enough to be her father!"

"That doesn't stop you, now does it," Evil-Lynn asked, leaning closer to him. She made sure that he could feel her pert breasts pressing against his arm. "I've seen how you look at her. If Skeletor gave the word, you'd gladly take her to bed."

Evil-Lynn leaned up until her lips were by Tri-Klops' ear. "Why lust over a child when you can have a real woman? Remember all of our nights together, Tri-Klops? You can have those again."

He pushed her away. "I told you before, I am not lusting after a child. And I am most certainly not interested in you! Go and find Beastman if you are in need of companionship, Evil-Lynn. That was all you were ever good at."

She clenched her teeth as he walked away. Tri-Klops was the only human male in Snake Mountain. It was that reason alone that made her want to seek him out. How dare he reject her! He will pay for that!

XXXXXX

That night, Beastman returned with less then desired results.

"All they could find was this," Beastman said, handing an object to Skeletor. The furry humanoid was clearly pleased with his pathetic results.

"This doesn't even belong to He-Man! This is a boy's wrist guard bearing the royal crest," Skeletor said in disgust. He tossed the guard to Beastman dismissively. "It probably belongs to that callow prince Alan."

"Adam," corrected Evil-Lynn. "Impressive hounds you have Beastman. Can't even tell a sixteen year old boy from the strongest man in all Eternia."

"He is not the strongest man," snapped Melantho. "He got lucky! Father can defeat him any day of the week."

"Of that, my sweet Melantho, I have no doubt," said Skeletor. "However, if He-Man can't be sniffed out, we'll have to lure him out."

"How will you do that, Father?"

"We play on his sentimentality. Remember how fast he came running to save King Randor?"

Melantho frowned. "You said it was rather fast. Before the Defenders could arrive."

"But, we can't get to the king," Tri-Klops protested. "The kingdom is under heavy guard."

"Who said anything about the king," snapped Skeletor. He quickly strode down from his throne. "I am speaking of his son, the prince. We capture him and He-Man comes running."

"Predictable of his kind," purred Melantho. "Playing hero will get that bafoon killed."

"Yes, and this time we'll be ready for him," Skeletor announced. He opened a secret compartment in the wall and removed a scroll. Unfurling it, he said, "Behold the ulitmate weapon!"

"How wonderful," breathed Melantho.

Skeletor stalked past her and shoved the scroll at Tri-Klops. "You shall build it for me. And do some reconnaissance while you're at it."

Melantho smiled, sliding up to the older man. "Want some help?"

"No, dear daughter, you'll be staying with me," Skeletor said before Tri-Klops could answer. "Change into your old clothes and meet me for sparring."

Melantho nodded and ran off. She enjoyed the times she spend with her Father, be it learning how to fight or the history of Eternia. Her father believed that she should have the best education that he could provide. She learned all about inventing with Tri-Klops and her father, tracking from Beastman, magic with Evil-Lynn and music from Trapjaw. Her father also made sure she could defend herself. He never took it easy on her when they sparred. She often found herself on the defensive. She knew he loved her, though. He was always careful to not kill her when they fought. He even wrapped her wounds when she was too slow.

When he decided that he had pushed her long enough, Skeletor ordered her to bed after he put a bandage on the gash on her arm.

"You're improving," he said. "Soon, you will be ready to fight by my side."

"Thank you, Father."

She meandered her way back to her room and sank gratefully on her mattress. She was exhausted. Slowly, she stripped out of her clothes and snuggled under her blanket.

"Pretty pathetic, Brat."

Melantho jumped up to Evil-Lynn in her room. The older witch blended in with the shadows, only her eyes glittering maliciously showed where she was standing. Ever since Skeletor had named Melantho, the girl learned to stay away from the woman she once admired. For a while, she tried to stay close to Evil-Lynn, but the older witch would have nothing to do with Melantho.

"Go away, Evil-Lynn. Don't you have other shadows to lurk in, other people to pester?"

"It always amazes me that he keeps you alive," sneered Evil-Lynn. "Did you know that when Kelantho died, he wanted you dead as well? It was only because of me that you lived."

She rolled her eyes. "I have heard that story, Evil-Lynn. My father told me that."

"You are weak, Brat. That is why he won't let you go with him. That is why you will always stay here in this castle, like a weakling. One of these days, he will see you for the hindrance that you are and we will be rid of you for good."

"I'm amazed he keeps you around," Melantho commented. "I wonder how Father would react if he knew you were the one that convinced Trapjaw to betray him all those years ago? Think you'll still be his 'dear Evil-Lynn'?"

The witch scowled. Melantho had barely any warning before Evil-Lynn sent a painful bolt of magic at her. She tried to move out of the way, but was too slow. The magic sent stabbing pains through her already battered body. She clenched her teeth, trying to not scream, but the pain was too intense.

She howled in pain, trying to simultaneously crawl away from Evil-Lynn and curl up to protect herself. She was only vaguely aware of the pain stopping. Looking up she saw that Tri-Klops had arrived. He was forcing Evil-Lynn from her room.

"I'd watch my back if I were you, Brat," the witch seethed. "One of these days you'll have an accident, and not even your father of sweet Tri-Klops will save you."

"Just leave, Evil-Lynn," snapped Tri-Klops. "You've caused enough problems for today."

Once she was gone, Tri-Klops turned his attention back to Melantho. He rebandaged her arm and tucked her in bed.

"Maybe she's right," Melantho muttered. "Maybe I am useless."

"No you're not," Tri-Klops said. "She's just an old woman who doesn't want to admit she's past her prime."

Melantho managed a small smile. "Thank you."

Tri-Klops leaned down, kissing her hair. "Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day."

XXXXX

The next afternoon the Doomseekers returned with their data. Melantho sat at her father's feet as the scenes from the royal palace played for them. Prince Adam being lectured by his father. Prince Adam playing a game with Teela, the daughter of that infernal Man-At-Arms. Prince Adam losing his temper at being called a coward.

Melantho felt her heart skip whenever the prince was shown. Never in all her life did she ever think such a person existed. He was beautiful, worthy of one who lived in the green world that had denied her. Tan skin, blond hair, sparkling blue eyes and a body that fitted a warrior. He may not be a warrior, but he could still be an inventor or thinker like Tri-Klops. She just knew that there was something more to this boy then what was seen. There was no way that anyone that handsome was a weakling.

"I now know Prince Adam's weakness," proclaimed Skeletor as the scenes ended.

"Yeah, a wimpy left leg," said Trapjaw. "His right is ok, but -"

"I'm speaking of his ego! All we have to do is lure him out, and he'll try to fight us," Skeletor said. "His leaving the last battle has proven to be a stigma that he cannot live with."

"You don't need to lure him anywhere," said Merman. Melantho turned to see the aquatic humanoid entering the throne room. He was dripping mud all over the floor and Melantho just knew that she'd be the one cleaning it up.

"Merman?" Skeletor turned to greet his minion.

"The prince was spotted crossing the Sea of Rakash with Stratos. They are clearly headed towards Avion."

Skeletor pointed his ram-head staff at the floor, bringing a globe of the world into view. "If they are traversing the Sea of Rakash on their way to Avion, which would have to take them through here," he said, pointing to a spot on the globe.

"The Eye of Zarcane," muttered Tri-Klops. It was a winding tunnel in the mountains, dangerous and the favorite hiding spot of thieves.

"And there, they will be ambushed by Skeletor's finest!"

"What if they turn tail and fly away?" Melantho asked.

"Oh, I think not," said Skeletor. "You see, from what I have just learned of Prince Adam, he will stay and fight. At all costs. It's a matter of pride."

"Shall we leave now, Father?"

Skeletor turned to his daughter. "Not you. Clean this throne room and ready the pit for our guest."

"Please, Father," begged Melantho. "If you do not wish me to fight, at least let me watch."

Skeletor's eyes glowed red. "What have I said about talking back to me?"

Melantho took a step back. "I'm sorry Father! I just want to prove myself to you. Please, give me a chance."

Skeletor swung his Havoc staff out and smashed it into her head. She fell to the ground, bleeding from where the staff cut open her flesh. She trembled from the pain, not daring to look up at her father.

"I told you to clean the throne room and ready the pit for our guest. Do it, Melantho. I am in no mood for your antics today."

Melantho sighed. "Yes, Father."

"Do not despair, daughter. You will get your chance soon. I am saving you for a very special mission. Once He-Man is out of the way, you will get your chance."

Melantho nodded and left to get the mop and bucket. Behind her, Evil-Lyn laughed at the sight of her being nothing more then a maid. She worked hard, wanting to make her father happy. He said he was saving her for a special mission. There had to be a reason why he wasn't exposing her to the Masters or to He-Man just yet. And this time, surely her father would win.

She had just finished preparing the pit when Tri-Klops returned, dragging and unconscious Prince Adam behind him. Without a word, the older man chained the boy on the platform and left. Melantho stayed behind, watching as the prince woke up. The pit was not a good place to wake up, just a tiny island surrounded by lava. It was unbearably hot and the boy was sweating in no time. There was no chance for him to fall in the lava, as the chains held him firmly to the rock.

She left as her father and Evil-Lynn arrived to watch the boy. She hid behind a pillar, not wanting to miss a single moment. She could prove herself to her father. Even if it meant the death of this beautiful creature.

When the prince woke up, her heart stopped. He was even more handsome in person. The way he moved his head as he tried to get his bearings. The way his blond hair fell in those wonderful blue eyes. She was very jealous of those eyes. He had lovely blue eyes, not like her weak-colored ones. She licked her lips as she watched the sweat drip down his tan skin. He was delicious.

"Wha-Where am I?"

"You are my captive, Prince Adam," Skeletor said from the throne room above.

"Quite the plan, Skeletor," Evil-Lyn said. Melantho scowled when she heard that woman's voice. Evil-Lynn was curled up against her father's side, stroking his arm. Melantho knew that Evil-Lynn only played the seductive kitten when she wanted something from Skeletor.

"Yes, dear Evil-Lyn. With our little prince serving as bait, He-Man should arrive at any moment."

From where she was standing, Melantho heard the prince mutter, "I wouldn't count on it." She bit her lip, wondering why the prince was so certain that the new hero of Eternia wouldn't come for him. Did he think that with his new reputation for being a coward, the brave hero would scorn him and leave him to his fate? She quietly crept away to find a vent from where she could watch the prince. She did not want her father to discover that she liked him!

She stayed by the pit, watching Prince Adam as he fought against the chains. Despite the heat, his energy did not wan. Even when he rested, she could see how tense he was and that he would fight at a moment's notice. She admired that. Maybe he was a fighter after all.

After a while, the timid sound of a cat's meow shook her out of her musings. It also caught the prince's attention. He looked out of the pit to an area that Melantho could not see. His handsome face lit up with joy at what he saw.

"Cringer? You have my power sword!"

Power sword? Melantho shifted slightly from one foot to the next. She wondered what a power sword was. Probably something that the rich gave their glittering little children in that wonderful green world.

She leaned out farther from the shadows to see who had come to rescue the prince when there was a small explosion. She could hear something running away.

"No! Wait, come back!" The despair was evident in the prince's voice. He sank to his knees, his head bowed in defeat. "I need my sword."

"Not the calvery then," mused Melantho.

Prince Adam's head snapped back up. "Who's there? Hello?"

She frowned. She hadn't meant for him to hear her. Luckily, her father was no where near by. Ah, well, this might be her only chance to talk to him before he died.

"Who I am is no concern of yours, little prince," she said. "You should be more worried about your own life."

"Please, help me. Get me out of here."

"I think not," Melantho said. "But, do not worry, dear prince. I think your death will be quick." With that, she walked away. She could hear him calling for her, but she ignored him. She was sure her father would not be thrilled to know that she was there to begin with.

She made her way to Tri-Klops' lab, deciding to stay there until she was needed. The familiar sight of the messy lab greeted her. It was like a second home. She spent almost as much time in here helping Tri-Klops tinker as she had with her father learning to fight.

"Melantho? What are you doing here?" Tri-Klops didn't even bother looking up from the scroll in front of him. He always knew when she entered his lab.

She shrugged. "Nothing. Just bored, that's all."

Tri-Klops finally looked up. "Finished spying on the young prince, have we?"

She blushed. "I was not spying," she protested. When Tri-Klops folded his muscular arms, she sighed. "Ok, so I was. But, I'm just curious."

"About what?"

"About the green world. It's so different from here. I just wanted to know what it was like. What kind of people inhabit it. What it would feel like to sleep on green grass instead of hard rock."

Tri-Klops pushed his scroll aside and motioned for her to sit down. "Melantho, you'll get to go out into the green world. Just be patient. You'll see, it's not as special as you want to think it is. No one will give you a chance out there. This is where you are safe."

"You lived there, right? Before we came here to live."

"I did," Tri-Klops said. "Trust me, it's as harsh a world out there as it is here, only the packaging is prettier."

Melantho stayed in the lab, helping him work on an improved Doomseeker. He'd bark out what tool he'd need, and she'd rummage through the room to find it. When she brought up the notion that he might try to organize better, he told her that he knew where everything was.

When the alarms went off, Tri-Klops shoved the hulk of the new Doomseeker into Melantho's arms.

"Stay here! He-Man has arrived, and I don't want you out there," he ordered and ran off.

"And I don't want you out there," she mocked when he was out of hearing range. She let the Doomseeker shell fall to the table. "I am not a child!"

She grabbed one of Tri-Klops' spare swords and ran out to join the fight. She'd show them that she was not a weakling. She'd stop the rescue attempt and prove her worth to her father. Maybe, just maybe, he'd let her spend a day in that forbidden green world.

Her plan was to flank them and cut off their exit from the pit. However, it appeared that she was too late. The rescue party had gotten Adam and buried her father's minions under the rocks.

"Going somewhere," she asked. Her idea of facing them alone was starting to look bad in the light of reality. She had never fought anyone but her father before, and she had no idea how to fight more then one person at a time.

She found herself facing two large men, a cocky girl about her age, and the prince.

"How pathetic," the girl laughed. "Skeletor must be despite. He's got children fighting for him."

Melantho sneered. "I'm no child!"

"We don't have time for this," one man said. "Just stand aside."

"Over my dead body."

"If that's what you want," the girl said, "then I'll be glad to help out!" Melantho managed to block the girl's first attack. She was good! Not as good as Father, but better then what she had given her enemy credit for.

"Quite the rescue team, Prince Adam," Melantho said. "Let me see if I can guess who everyone is. The dumb one in the helmet is Ram Man. The older man is Man-At-Arms, second-in-command for that worm, Randor. Which makes the little girl, Teela."

"You know who we are," Man-At-Arms said. "Who are you?"

Melantho dodged a blow from Teela. She wanted to answer, but Teela was not giving her a moment's rest. It made her see red. The insufferable Man-At-Arms let his daughter come on missions! She was allowed to fight! And Melantho could see it in Teela's green eyes that she was enjoying herself.

It wasn't fair!

Melantho swung the sword and managed to push Teela back. When the other girl slipped on a rock, Melantho smiled. Her father would be so pleased to see that she killed one of the insects that plagued him.

That was when she realized that her position put her back to her enemies. Man-At-Arms must have realized this as well. Before she could correct herself, he struck her in the back. Her head started to spin as she fell to the floor. Her last coherent thought was that they got away.

When she woke up, her father was standing over her. She knew she was in trouble. It wasn't that he had found her. It wasn't even that she had failed. No, she was in trouble because _he_ had failed.

"Tell me, dear daughter, why are you sleeping in the hallway," asked Skeletor.

"I almost had them, Father. I will not be defeated next time," she swore. She struggled to get up, but her head was spinning.

"Really? And what made you think you were ready to face any of them," Skeletor snapped. One clawed hand wrapped itself around her thigh, forcing her to stay down.

"I wanted you to be proud of me," whispered Melantho. "I know I was wrong. I won't do it again."

"No, you won't!" Skeletor suddenly ripped her flesh from her leg. She screamed as he tore through the muscle to the bone. Blood soaked her dress and the stone floor.

"Let this be a lesson to you. I don't tolerate failure! I will not allow anyone, especially you, to ever disobey me! You knew you had no business here!"

Melantho sobbed as her father stood up. "Tri-Klops, take my worthless daughter down and have her leg bandaged. After that, Brat, you are to go to your room and not leave there until I tell you to."

Tri-Klops reached down and picked up Melantho. He held her to his broad chest and quickly carried her to his lab. There, he bandaged her leg, putting a synthetic flesh around her wound to help it heal and minimize scarring.

"Feeling better," Tri-Klops asked.

"No," whimpered Melantho. "He'll never forgive me. I don't deserve his forgiveness. I should never have thought that I was ready for this!"

"You tried," he said. He pulled her to him, hugging her as she cried. "He'll see that and forgive you. You're just young. That's all."

"I'm so sorry! I only wanted to help!"

"I know," said Tri-Klops.

Melantho snuggled closer to him, taking comfort in the fact that he believed in her. Her long day was taking it's toll on her and she closed her eyes.

"It's not just wanting to make my father proud," she murmured. "I keep having these strange things happen to me. It's been getting worse."

"What kind of things?"

"My heart. When I think of a certain person, it beats very fast. I feel light headed. I don't even know why I feel this way."

Tri-Klops said nothing as she fell asleep. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, gently rocking her. He listened as her breathing became even. Slowly, he stood with her in his arms.

"That feeling is love," he whispered.

((Author's Note: I know this has been a while. I've been moving this story between three computers. In the process, I've lost most of it. I'm rewriting it, and trying to find new quotes for the chapters. Sorry for the long wait))


	5. S1E5: The Green World

Season 1 Episode 4: The Green World

_"I shall be telling this with a sigh_

_Somewhere ages and ages hence:_

_Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --_

_I took the one less traveled by,_

_And that has made all the difference."_

Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

Eternia was beautiful. He-Man loved his world; the lush green forests, the dry deserts and the sparkling sea. He felt pride in the soaring mountains and the low plains. The people who lived in Eternia were all good and happy, letting He-Man know he had done his job well.

Almost everyone, he thought, looking towards the area that would eventually lead to the Dark Hemisphere. There lived his nemesis, Skeletor. He-Man had never known hate before, but he hated the Overlord of Evil. Skeletor made it his life's mission to destroy all that He-Man held dear. He wasn't sure what the whole story was, but it was far older then he.

"Seen anything yet?" He-Man turned to see Man-at-Arms standing behind him. They had entered the forest on a tip that some of Skeletor's minions were skulking around. That could only mean trouble.

"No one," said He-Man. "Are we sure they're here?"

"That's what we were told," Man-at-Arms said. "The report sounded like Tri-Klops, Beastman and Evil-Lynn were lurking here. We don't know what they are after, but it can't be good."

He-Man nodded. "Why does Skeletor hate King Randor so much," he asked, keeping an eye on the others in his group. Only Man-at-Arms knew his secrets, and they planned on keeping it that way.

"Skeletor has always been filled with hate. It just settled on the king, that's all."

He-Man sighed. It made no sense to him. Why just hate someone for no reason? How could anyone so evil have so many loyal followers? He knew how Randor had gained the love and loyalty of so many, the king had worked hard and nearly given his life for those whom he served. What had Skeletor done?

He-Man was pulled from his musings by a scream. Taking off through the forest, he heard the person scream again, a loud painful shriek. It sounded like a female. He was sure that it was the work of Skeletor's henchmen.

To his surprise, he found her easily. A large bear had a girl cornered in the forest, she was clutching her arm and blood seeped through her fingers. He-Man jumped forward and grabbed the bear. He tossed it away, hearing the dazed bear wander off once it hit the ground.

"Hey, don't worry. You're safe now," He-Man said. He knelt by the girl. She seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't remember where they had met. Her light blue skin and black hair reminded him of Syclone, maybe that was it. The clothes she wore were not good for a forest, the skimpy dress and soft sandals torn nearly to shreds and the blood stained down her arm.

"No, get away from me," the girl cried, trying to move away from He-Man. He could see that she was in pain and wasn't making any sense.

"I'm going to get you help," he said. "What's your name?" When she wouldn't reply, he called Man-at-Arms and Ram-Man on his link, alerting them to the medical emergency.

"Any sign of Skeletor's minions," he asked as Ram-Man showed up first.

"Not yet. Maybe it was a wild goose chase," Ram-Man said. "Is this her? Poor girl, that looks like it hurt."

"Please, leave me alone," the girl begged. "I don't need your help."

"Pain must be making her crazy," Ram-Man said as he sat next to her. He-Man kept a lookout while Ram-Man set her arm in a makeshift splint. Man-at-Arms found them and signaled to talk to He-Man. He left the girl as Ram-Man handed her some berries he had been eating.

"Who is that," Man-at-Arms asked.

"Some girl. She was attacked by a bear," He-Man replied. "Does she seem familiar to you?"

Man-at-Arms stared at her as she took some more berries from Ram-Man. "She does. Where have we seen her before?"

He-Man was about to tell him he wasn't sure, when they heard a familiar growl. Beastman ambushed them from the trees and He-Man could see Tri-Klops scooping the girl up. She was oddly limp in his arms.

He-Man fought Beastman, but his mind was on the girl. He couldn't let Skeletor's henchmen take an innocent person away like that. As soon as he could, he passed the fight on to Man-at-Arms and took off after Tri-Klops. He jumped over Ram-Man's unconscious body and stopped only long enough to make sure his friend was breathing.

"What were you thinking! Eating poison like that! Are you out of your mind!" Tri-Klops' voice alerted He-Man to his presence. Leaving Ram-Man, he found Tri-Klops and the girl by a stream. Strangely, Tri-Klops was cradling the girl.

"I didn't know," she whispered. "Ram-Man was eating them too."

Poison? The berries! That was why Ram-Man was on the ground. Oh, dear God! His friend could be dieing!

"Mel! Come on, keep talking," Tri-Klops pleaded. "Don't close your eyes."

"Cold," she whispered.

"Mel! Mel!"

At that, He-Man walked closer to Tri-Klops. It was unsettling to see his enemy like that. Tri-Klops looked up at him and He-Man was startled to see the raw anguish on the swordmaster's face.

"How good are the medical facilities at Snake Mountain," He-Man asked.

"Not good enough," Tri-Klops admitted.

"Give her to me, and I promise that she'll be taken care of. We can help her," He-Man promised.

Tri-Klops snorted. "Help? Why should I believe you? You'll only put her in a cell and forget about her."

"No, you have my word. No cell and medical attention."

Tri-Klops looked down at the girl. Her breathing was ragged and she was shivering. Quietly, he picked her up and approached He-Man. Cautiously, he placed the girl in He-Man's arms. It was a gesture of trust between the two enemies. Tri-Klops was trusting He-Man with the well-being of this girl, and He-Man was trusting him to not attack while his hands were full.

"She dies, He-Man, and I will stop at nothing to kill you," Tri-Klops promised and walked away.

"Ti-Kops," the girl moaned, curling up towards He-Man. "Ti-Kops stay."

"You're safe," He-Man said softly. He would figure out who she was later. For now, she needed medical attention.

"Man-at-Arms! We need to get them to a doctor now!" He-Man ran off to find his friends as time was slowly running out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What have you done with my daughter!"

Tri-Klops could barely breath through the pain. When he and Beastman returned without Melantho, Skeletor's mood became violent. Already, Beastman was cowering in pain, which left Tri-Klops to bear the brunt of their master's anger.

"She was poisoned," Tri-Klops tried to explain. He knew that his master would not like what he had done, but he prayed that Skeletor would let him live. "Ram-Man gave her poisoned berries. She was dieing."

"So you left her," Skeletor demanded, sending another painful bolt of energy at Tri-Klops. The swordmaster's body slid across the rocky floor.

"No, Lord Skeletor. Please, hear me out," Tri-Klops pleaded. "He-Man took her."

That was not the answer Skeletor was expecting. A flash of red and Tri-Klops felt a pain he had never felt before. It was as if his skin was being ripped from his body. When it was over, he found himself curled in a protective ball.

"What do you mean, He-Man has her! How could he just take her from you!"

"Please, Lord Skeletor, she was dieing. If I brought her back, she'd be dead. He-Man made a bargain," Tri-Klops moaned. He uncurled himself, looking up into his master's face. "I had to save her, Lord Skeletor."

Skeletor glared down at his minion. It angered him – No! Infuriated him that something of his was now in Randor's hands. He should kill Tri-Klops. Every muscle in his body demanded that his henchman die for allowing his property to be taken.

However, he was not blind. He knew that Tri-Klops was close to Melantho. He wouldn't just hand her over without a good reason.

"Tell me everything, Tri-Klops," Skeletor growled. "Now!"

"We were separated and I heard Melantho scream. By the time I found her, Ram-Man was kneeling by her. Her arm had been broken and he was feeding her red berries. I recognized them, poison berries that I've used in several experiments in the past. I don't know how many she ate, but she started to convulse when I grabbed her," Tri-Klops said. He had to stop and take a breath before continuing. "He-Man found us and could see that she was dieing. He offered to get her medical treatment, and no cell. I believed him."

"Any reason why you'd believe that bafoon?"

Tri-Klops looked down. "Because he's a hero. It's in his character. A woman in distress will always sway him to mercy. He'd probably treat Evil-Lynn the same way if she ever tears up prettily for him. He's too noble to hurt her."

Skeletor turned away from Tri-Klops. Quietly, he said, "Keep an eye on her and we'll get her back."

Walking away, he knew that if Randor hurt his daughter, he'd destroy all of Eternia piece by piece. He never did learn to share.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I know where I've seen her," Teela said, looking down at the girl in the hospital bed. Beside her, He-Man and her father were talking to the king. This girl had caused quite a stir and Teela knew she was nothing but trouble.

"Where did you see her," asked her father. She knew that he and He-Man couldn't figure it out.

"When Skeletor took Adam, we went to save him," reminded Teela. "Outside of Adam's cell, we were confronted by Tri-Klops and some of Skeletor's minions."

Man-at-Arms frowned. "Yes, I remember that," he said and then his eyes widened. "Wait! Afterwards, there was a girl! You fought her."

"This girl! She works for Skeletor!"

King Randor turned to He-Man. "Did you know of this?"

"No, I wasn't sure," He-Man said cautiously. "I gave my word that she'd be cared for, Majesty."

"Your word to the enemy," scoffed Randor. "What good is that?"

"My word is my bond," said He-Man. "Even to my enemy."

"Majesty, there is something you should see," the doctor said, pushing between the king and He-Man. He held the x-rays from the girl in his hand and his face had a grim look.

"What is it?"

"Who ever this girl is, she's been severely abused," the doctor said. "Many of her bones have been broken and reset, she has old scars all over her body, and the damage done to her leg is recent. It looks like a large animal clawed out part of her thigh."

"Maybe she was running away from Skeletor," proposed He-Man. "Why would anyone stay if they were treated like that?"

Randor shook his head. "Skeletor has a way of making people stay with him, out of fear if anything else. I doubt she would have ran away."

"Look at these x-rays," said the doctor. "She's lucky to be walking at all. It looks as if her whole life was nothing more then being a punching bag."

Next to them, Queen Marlena gasped. "That poor girl."

Randor shook his head and left the room. He-Man looked at the queen and sat next to the girl's bed. All he knew was that Tri-Klops called her Mel. It was a pretty name. How she must have suffered. The queen was right, she was a poor girl.

Reaching out, he held her hand as she slept. She curled around her hand. From between her lips came a sigh.

"Father."

**author's note: Sorry about how late this is. It took me a long time to write it since I was trying to keep it in Mel's POV. Then I realized how much more interesting to see it from another's POV. Next chapter will be back in Mel's POV mostly.**


	6. S1E6: Ivory Tower

Season 1, Episode 5: The Ivory Tower

_When he passes me by, he's like a ray of light_

_like the first drop of sun from the sky._

_And I know he's a king, who deserves a queen._

_But I'm not a queen._

From "He doesn't see me" as sung by Sarah Brightman

Melantho stared up at the ceiling. The brilliant white hurt her eyes, but she couldn't stop looking. She could feel the warmth of the sun, so vastly different then the heat from the Dark Hemisphere. The sound of birds singing called to her, tempting her to leave the bed and join them. She knew she was in the Green World, but she feared that it was all a dream and, when she gave in and answered the siren song of nature, she would wake up back in her hard bed.

"Something interesting up there," came a masculine voice. It was familiar, but not one that Melantho could easily place. Turning her head, she was startled by He-Man.

She sat up, clutching the covers to her chest as she moved back against the wall. She stared at him, wide-eyed. How did she get here? Where was her father? The last thing she remembered was Tri-Klops picking her up.

"What do you want," she rasped, her voice rough from non-use.

He-Man sat on the edge of her bed. "What's your name? It's okay, you can tell me. You're safe."

Melantho shook her head. "No, I'm not safe."

"Skeletor can't hurt you here," He-Man insisted. "You're safe. We know you were running away. We saw what he did to you. We'll keep you safe."

This caused her to pause. They thought she was running away? Well, that played in her favor. She pulled the blankets closer to her, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyes.

"He'll take me back," she said, her voice cracking. "You don't understand. I'll be punished for this."

He-Man reached out, but pulled his hand back when she flinched. "No one will hurt you. You have my word."

Melantho offered him a weak smile. The word of He-Man was probably the best bond in the world. If any harm came to her, it would discredit him.

"My name is Melantho," she said softly.

"That's a lovely name. Don't you worry, Melantho. You'll have nothing to fear ever again."

Later in the day, she was told she was well enough to leave. She was escorted to see the king. He-Man's promise had kept her from a cell this long. She wasn't sure how long Randor would honor his hero's word.

"Tell us who you really are," Randor demanded.

"Dear, she's still weak," his wife said. "Look at her, she's swaying on her feet. Someone get her a chair."

Melantho hadn't been aware of her condition, but she decided to play it up to full advantage. She slumped gratefully in the chair brought to her, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Now, then, who are you? What is your relation to Skeletor?"

"I am Melantho, daughter of Skeletor," she said, holding herself up proudly. Gasps rippled through the court. She could see He-Man turn pale and took a small amount of pleasure in that he was now forced to protect his enemy's child.

"How is that possible," asked Queen Marlena. "Who is your mother?"

"Kelantho was my mother. She died shortly after I was born. My father and his henchmen raised me," Melantho said. She sat tall for a moment before her lip quivered. She shook her head and burst into tears. "It was awful! What they did to me...I can't bear it anymore!"

She pushed herself off the chair so that she landed clumsily in a heap at the foot of the dais stairs. In a quivering voice, she pleaded, "Please, you can't send me back! He'll hurt me again. I never thought escape was possible. Please, have mercy!"

Randor looked taken back. Not only had he not ever thought that Skeletor would have another child, but she was forcing his hand. He knew he was trapped.

Melantho pulled up the long shirt they gave her to wear to expose her leg. "See what he did the last time I failed? I can't walk without limping. He did this to his own flesh and blood! I thought all fathers acted like that, until I saw how Man-at-Arms treated his daughter. I know better. I can't go back."

"What do you mean, when you saw how Man-at-Arms treated Teela," asked Randor. "How would you know anything like that? Does Skeletor spy on us?"

Uh-oh. Hesitantly, Melantho answered, "Sometimes. I don't know how, I've only viewed the reports when I've been permitted to sit in. They don't share any information with me." She silently prayed that this wasn't being recorded by Tri-Klops' Doomseekers. At least, not until she had a chance to get a message back to her father.

Randor sighed. "You should be locked up. You've fought on behalf of Skeletor. However, He-Man has given his word that you would not suffer a cell. You can't go free, who knows what your real plans are. Instead, you will stay here, under guard. Anywhere you go, you will have guards posted around you. Anyone you talk to, I will know about. Anything you do, I will know about. If you try to contact Skeletor, I will throw you into the deepest, darkest dungeon I can find. Understand?"

"Yes," gushed Melantho, groveling low on the ground. "Thank you, King Randor. Thank you!"

As she was led away, she added a little more limp to her walk. She hadn't been completely lying. She knew that Man-at-Arms never raised a hand to Teela, but how could Teela learn that way? What if she made a mistake? Did he just tell her it would be all right? The weak fools! All was going according to her plan. How stupid of He-Man to bargain for her. He was as big a fool as her father always said.

Her room was high in a tower with no way for her to escape. That didn't matter, she had no plans to escape just yet. She had been presented with a golden opportunity, and she planned on using it to her full advantage.

Locked inside, she quickly closed all the curtains. She found paper and a pen, writing out a quick explanation to her father. She knew that he would send a Doomseeker to check on her, she only had to wait.

She didn't wait long before she heard the familiar hum. The Doomseeker came as the sun went down and she was just reopening her curtains. Once it was in her room, she stuffed the letter in a compartment and then ignored it's presence. Her father would know why once he got her message.

She watched the sun set, satisfied on her first real day in the royal palace. She was given new clothes, items they deemed worthy of a prisoner. The plain scratchy dress was nothing like the soft cotton clothes her father had given her. Even her old patch-worked leathers were better then this.

Melantho wasn't sure how long she slept. The sun was shining when she heard a knock at her door. Sliding out of bed, she saw a tray had been left with cold, rubbery eggs and a glass of congealing milk, and a new set of 'prison-wear' was folded on a chair.

Opening the door, she was surprised to see Prince Adam. Blushing, she let him in.

"To what do I owe this honor," she asked. "Don't tell me you're my babysitter for the day."

Adam smiled. "I am. I came to see if you were going to sleep the whole day away. It's nearly noon."

Melantho gasped, looking out the window. "I didn't know. I guess I'm not used to such comfortable bed. It won't happen again."

"It's all right, no one is going to punish you," Adam declared. "Have you eaten? No, I can see your tray is still full. Well, that's good. I set up for us to have a picnic, a get-to-know-you type of thing."

"My, how generous of you," Melantho said. When Adam offered her his arm, she took it gratefully.

"I admit, Melantho, I am very curious about you," Adam said. "What kind of childhood did you have? What is Skeletor really like? How did you get out of the Mystic Wall last year?"

Melantho laughed. "I suggest you never become a spy, Prince Adam. You're transparent."

"That bad?"

"Yes," she said, turning to him. "However, I am equally curious about you. No state secrets, okay."

"Fair enough." He led her down to the courtyard where he had a blanket set up with a small basket of food by a great tree. Once she saw the food, she realized how hungry she was. No dinner the night before and sleeping through breakfast had made her nearly weak with relief when she smelled the food.

At first, they made small talk about the weather and the obvious differences between their two lands. Finally, Adam started asking questions about Melantho's childhood.

"I thought it was normal," said Melantho. "I was raised by my father and took various lessons with the others. I used to play hide-and-seek with Clawful and Whiplash. They weren't good at hiding and I learned to hide someplace comfortable because they could never find me."

"Sounds like fun," Adam commented.

"It was. My favorite pastime was helping Tri-Klops in his lab," Melantho said with a sigh. "I learned so much."

"You don't sound like someone who is running away from a horrible home."

Melantho blushed. "I guess, it wasn't all bad. It was all I ever knew." Looking up, she noticed a Doomseeker. She prayed no one else noticed it. "Prince Adam, what about your childhood? Did you play games?"

Adam nodded, breaking apart a roll. "Yeah. Teela and I have always been close. We used to play every day. Now that she's a captain of the guard, we don't see each other very much."

"What do you think of He-Man," asked Melantho suddenly.

"I thought we agreed no state secrets."

She smiled. "I'm not asking for state secrets, just your opinion. Who do you think he really is?"

"He-Man is He-Man," said Adam cautiously. "Who else would he be?"

Melantho shrugged and leaned closer to him. "I think he has a secret identity. After all, if he was just He-Man, wouldn't someone be out there bragging that they know him? A person can't just appear and disappear."

"What if he can?"

"Mmm, all right, play it like that," Melantho said. "I mean, I would just think that you'd have something to say about the person that's replaced you."

"What do you mean, replaced me? No one has replaced me, I'm still the prince."

"That's not what I heard. Even my father talks more about He-Man then he does about you. It's like you don't really exist."

Adam frowned, playing with his roll. Melantho could see how this news hurt him. She knew she should be pleased, but she felt a strange twinge of regret. What was life here for the prince, living in the shadow of a man who was too cowardly to be himself?

"If it makes you feel better, I know you exist," she said. "Father would kill me if he ever heard me say this, but I have been fascinated by you from the moment I saw you. You're more special then He-Man could ever be. He's a fluke, but you're real." She leaned forward again, placing a hand on his leg. He looked up at her and she gave him a weak, fragile smile.

She pulled back as she heard a low rumbling sound. Overhead, dark clouds had rolled in and the rumbling came again.

"What is that?"

"It's going to rain," Adam said. "Well, that's one way to ruin a picnic."

"Rain?" Melantho stood up. "We should leave. Come on, I'll help pack up."

Adam smiled. "It's just rain. Don't tell me you're scared of rain."

She shook her head. "No, not scared. Just...uh...I don't want to get these nice clothes ruined."

Adam laughed, but he started to pick up. They weren't done when the sky opened up and rain came pouring down. Melantho screamed, trying to cover herself. She cowered by the tree in an effort to not get any water on her.

"Hey, it's just water," Adam said. "Come on, we'll get a little wet, but we will dry."

"No, please. Let's just wait it out here."

Adam grabbed her hand and pulled her out in the rain. Melantho tried to yank her hand back, but he held firm. She closed her eyes, flinching as the rain hit her skin. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at her hand in wonderment.

"It doesn't burn," she whispered. "The water, it doesn't burn."

"No, it doesn't," laughed Adam. "Water doesn't burn."

"Back home it does," Melantho murmured. "Unless purified, it's dangerous."

"Well, this water is safe," Adam said. "Now, come on, let's get out of the storm." He took her hand again and they ran through the storm. He took her to the stables and they stayed there to dry.

"That is amazing," breathed Melantho. She licked the water from her hand. "I never imagined such a thing existed."

Adam smiled. "Yeah, rain is pretty neat. You think this is great, you should see how pretty everything is after the storm."

"You'll have to show me. I want to experience it all!"

Melantho reached out to hold more of the rain. She could feel the prince behind her, but this new wonder held her attention. Everything about it fascinated her. The water, the lightning and the thunder; all of it was new. She loved it and could hardly wait until she could live in this green world without fear.

She turned to tell Adam how lovely the water tasted. The words froze in her mouth as she caught herself staring into his eyes.

"We should get you a change of clothes," Adam murmured, staring down at her. "You're all wet."

"So are you," she whispered, reaching up to trace the droplets on his face. "Oh, you're cold."

"Rain can do that," he said. "The water and the air, it can make a person feel cold."

She moved closer to him. "How does one warm up, then?"

Prince Adam reached down, pushing her hair out of her face. Hesitantly, he leaned down and placed a small kiss on her forehead. When she didn't scream or push him away, he kissed her eyelids and her cheeks, making his way slowly to her lips. Melantho sighed happily as he pressed his lips to hers, feeling the warmth radiate through her body.

"Prince Adam, your father wishes to speak to you." A strong male voice broke into the peaceful moment. Adam pulled back, looking guilty.

"I'll...uh...I'll go see what he wants," Adam said and ran from the stables.

"What was that," said Melantho.

"If I can guess, I'd say it was a kiss," the man said. "I'll escort you back to your room."

A kiss. Her first real kiss ever. With a smile, Melantho followed her new guard. She felt like she was floating on air. She never thought she'd ever be kissed, and her golden Adam kissed her!

"Someone will come to escort you to dinner," her guard said before he locked her door.

Melantho sighed and flopped down on her bed. She touched her lips, wondering why no one ever told her how wonderful being kissed felt. Well, Tri-Klops had kissed her, but those pecks on her forehead never felt as amazing as what Adam just did.

With a happy moan, she hugged her pillow. While she'd never betray her father, she was sorely tempted if it meant being close to Adam and staying in this Green World. He was everything she ever wanted; the sun, the water and the flowers. Prince Adam was all the things her life was not.

There was a knock at her door. Melantho sat up as Queen Marlena poked her head in. Well, this was a day for surprises. Maybe Melantho would finally find out why her father called the queen the "Star-Lady".

"Hello Melantho. Do you have time to talk?"

"Of course, Majesty," she said. "I always have time to talk to you."

Marlena sat on the bed, a bound book in her hands. "I understand that something happened between you and my son today."

"Already? Wow, news travels fast."

"Yes, I suspect much of the palace is talking about it by now."

Melantho grinned. "Well, it was a nice picnic. Until the rain...Well, that wasn't so bad either."

"Or the kiss in the stables?"

"That was wonderful," gushed Melantho. "Is that a custom here?"

"No, it's not." Marlena looked down at her lap. "Listen, Melantho, I like you. You seem like a sweet girl, despite who raised you. Adam obviously likes you. I'm just worried that this won't end well. Someone is going to get hurt."

"You're scared that it will be Adam?"

"I'm scared it will be you," she said and handed the book to Melantho. "This is a story from my home. It's about the children of two enemies who meet and fall in love. They risk everything for that love."

"And, something bad happens?"

She nodded. "This story has been told and retold many times. Sometimes, the ending is changed and everyone lives happily ever after. I just want you two to be careful. If your father ever found out, I'm worried he'll hurt you."

Melantho looked down at the book. "Thank you," she whispered. "I love to read. I've never read anything that wasn't history or science related."

"I have a vast library. You're free to borrow any book you want."

With that, Marlena left. Melantho opened the book. "Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. Looks different." Long into the night, she read the story.

((Fixed the kiss scene))


	7. S1E7: Deception

Season 1, Episode 6: Deception

_'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;_

_Thou art thyself, though not a Montague._

_What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,_

_Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part_

_Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!_

Juliet, Act II Scene II

_Don't screw this up!_

With those loving words, Melantho folded her father's note and sent the Doomseeker on its way. She had been under reconnaissance in the royal palace for nearly a month now, and life was passing her by. Trapped by her own scheme, she had hoped that the royal family would have taken pity on her and given her more freedom.

She picked up the little robot her father had sent her. Byte was a cute little spidery-thing, designed to destroy any of the inventions of Man-at-Arms' that it came across. The only problem was that her father assumed she had gained entry into the lab. So far, her only permitted wanderings have been to the courtyard and the queen's library. No meals taken in the royal dining hall. No deviations.

She sighed, looking out the window, her fingers tapping her locket. That had been a slightly scary incident when Randor and Marlena noticed it around her neck. They assumed it was some neclace that belonged to the queen, until Melantho opened it to reveal a picture of her grandmother and her father as a child. Her thoughts turned to her new mission and Man-at-Arms' blasted lab. She could see the lab from here, but how to get to it? Slowly, a smile graced her face. Oh, she knew how. The perfect dupe to get her inside. All she had to do was wait.

She did not have to wait long. Exactly at noon there was a knock on her door. She smiled as Prince Adam entered her room. Today, his blond hair and sparkling blue eyes caused her heart to beat fast for another reason.

"Ready to go," he asked, referring to their daily picnics.

"For you, always," she said. She eagerly took his arm, already knowing how she'd convince him to let her enter the lab. Their walk to the picnic area would take them right by the lab, and today was the day that she'd get in.

"It's a lovely day," Adam said. "I don't think we'll get any rain."

"It is nice out," she commented. "What would you normally be doing if I weren't here?"

He shrugged. "Helping Man-at-Arms, training with Teela, or maybe going for a swim. I don't really have a busy schedule."

"That's where Man-at-Arms works, isn't it," she asked, pointing to the lab. She knew the answer, but playing dumb had won in her favor before.

"Yeah, that's his lab."

Melantho sighed, leaning her head on Adam's shoulder. "May I see? I miss the lab at home. The smell of oil and metal, the feel of parchment and the promise of creation. Please, Adam, can I just peak inside?"

"I'll have to check with Man-at-Arms," he said cautiously. He brought her only as far as the door and left her outside. As she waited, Melantho pretended to smell the flowers around the building as she set Byte free. By the time Adam returned, she had finished and no one was the wiser.

"He said no," Adam told her. "I'm sorry, Mel."

"No, I understand. I'm the daughter of your enemy. Not everyone is willing to give me a chance."

"They just don't know you the way I do," Adam said. "You're being here hasn't earned Skeletor any victories. You've really been trying to fit in."

She smiled, feeling her eyes water up. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."

Adam smiled and pulled her close to him. Ever since the incident in the stables, they had played up the whole "star-crossed" lovers bit. While Melantho really cared for Adam, she was not above using the feelings he had for her to gain what she wanted. Perhaps, if she played her cards right, when her father triumphed, he'd allow her to keep the prince? There were times when she saw how dissatisfied Adam was with his current lot in life, and she allowed herself to dream of bringing him over to her side. If a few kisses and loving glances would help, she'd do it.

"I have a great idea," he said. "Instead of picnicking in the courtyard, why don't we do by the lake? We can swim and you can see something other then the inside of these walls."

"I'd love to," Melantho said, "but I don't know how to swim."

"I can teach you. Wait right here while I go get you a swimsuit." Adam ran off and Melantho found a bench to sit on. She gazed up at the blue sky and waited.

Adam hurried to his mother's rooms. He was sure she'd either have a swimsuit for Melantho to borrow, or know where he could get one. Queen Marlena had a soft spot for Mel and, along with Adam, hoped that her time here would cause her to throw away the shackles of her father and join their side.

He stopped once he got to the door of his mother's room. He heard voices and paused, quickly identifying them as his parents. They were fighting; his father yelling and his mother trying to calm him down. Worried, Adam leaned close to the door.

"The boy needs to be warned," King Randor snapped. "He's too gentle for his own good. Look at them, Marlena! She has him parading around like he's her pet."

"I think you're overreacting, dear," Marlena said. "Melantho has been the most well-behaved guest we've ever had. She only gets to go out when they have lunch, so I doubt it's her parading him around."

"Marlena, she's an Achitan. Skeletor is an Achitan and so was her mother. She's dangerous. What if she's set her sights on Adam?"

"So what if she has? Not all of the Achitans were evil, dear."

Randor snorted. "Not all were evil? Marlena, are you forgetting what they did? The villages they destroyed? The people they killed?"

"And they died in the war," Marlena said. "Their whole society, wiped off the planet. Skeletor and Melantho are the only ones left."

"They are just as dangerous as a hundred Achitans! Look at the devastation that Skeletor has brought on us!"

"Randor, we have a chance to change all that. Melantho is still young. She's only about fifteen, maybe sixteen. At this stage in life, she's open to new things, new possibilities. Her friendship with Adam gives me hope that she'll realize how wrong her father is and leave him."

"Isn't that why she's here?"

"There is still a chance she'd return to Skeletor out of fear. If we treat her badly, she may think that she was better off in Snake Mountain. Don't you see, Randor, we have a chance to right old wrongs."

"Marlena, I lived my whole life with a crazy Achitan woman stalking my father. I won't have it happen to my son! You don't know those people like I do, what their women are capable of. God forbid Adam ever bleeds in front of her! She'll tear him apart!"

At that moment, a loud boom shook the palace. Adam moved away from the door just as his father came running out in the hallway. Randor glanced at his son, eyes narrowed as the thought of eavesdropping entered the king's mind. With the second explosion, Randor took off.

"Adam, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be having lunch with Melantho," Marlena asked.

"I wanted to take her swimming. I was wondering if you had anything she could borrow to swim in."

Marlena nodded and found a simple swimsuit that looked to be Melantho's size. Adam thanked his mother and ran off. His father's words still rang in his mind. Melantho was something called an Achitan, and was possibly among the last of her kind. He knew he had heard of them before, but he wasn't sure where.

He found Melantho sitting on the bench, surrounded by guards. Man-at-Arms' lab was smoking, the cause of the two explosions.

"Hey, what happened," Adam asked as he handed the swimsuit to Melantho.

She shrugged. "Not sure. Sounds like something went wrong. As soon as you left, I got a new guard. I thought it best to stay away when I heard the explosion, since I'm not very welcomed over there anyway."

"Is Duncan all right?"

"I believe so. He came out and left with your father."

Adam bit his lip. On one hand, he wanted to see if his friend was okay, but, on the other hand, he didn't want to leave Melantho again. He knew that bringing Melantho when he went to see Man-at-Arms wouldn't be the best idea, either.

"It's okay, Adam," Melantho said as she stood up. "Go and see your friend. I'm sure one of these fine guards wouldn't mind taking me back to my room."

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

She smiled. "You're so transparent. And, you're kind-hearted. Go on then, I'll be all right."

He kissed her on the cheek and handed her the swimsuit. "We'll go to the lake tomorrow. I promise," he said before heading off.


End file.
